'The Simpsons' Longtime Music Editor Chris Ledesma Dies, Aged 64

The longtime music editor for The Simpsons, Chris Ledesma, has died. He was 64. 

News of Ledesma's death was announced on Sunday night via a Simpsons episode in a post-credits tribute. The show dedicated the episode to the music editor, honouring him as 'the man behind the music'.

The Simpsons family was shown sitting down as Bart, Maggie and Lisa played instruments, and a cartoon version of Ledesma was shown holding a conductor’s baton with a title card that read, "In loving memory of Chris Ledesma."

Ledesma originally joined the show in 1989 and worked on over 700 episodes in his time there. Last year he posted about the "significant milestone", hashtagging 'grateful' and 'blessed'. 

Since the announcement of his death, there has been an outpouring of tributes, mainly from colleges, to celebrate the extraordinary talent that he brought to the program. 

Writer for The Simpsons, Carolyn Omine, shared the tribute card and wrote, “Chris Ledesma was a sweet man who loved his job and was really, really good at it. We miss him.”

Jake Schaefer who replaced Ledesma as the show’s music editor, tweeted numerous tributes. Schaefer wrote, “Chris Ledesma’s passion for music and for The Simpsons was an inspiration. I’m grateful for the time I got to spend with him this year. He was a great mentor and a genuine person. My heart goes out to his family.”

Outside of his work on The Simpsons, Ledesma earned two Emmy nominations for his work: in outstanding individual achievement in sound editing for a miniseries or a special on Gypsy and outstanding sound editing for a miniseries or a special for War and Remembrance.

He also spent time writing a personal blog, where he discussed his role as music editor for The Simpsons and the "highs and lows" of his career. His last entry was from 2020.